Monologs of a Water Tiger

Monthly Archives: July 2016

“The root of our country’s problem is patronage. That ‘chin chai’ easygoing attitude we Chinese hold in high regards as the noble pillar of a good person. It is this trait that clouds our judgement each time we were asked to pick between two outstanding leaders when clairvoyance fails us. Patronizing is a word which nondescriptly stays submerged while we finger point others as the root cause of our country’s failure. What that means is if our country does fail, we are also a party to be blamed due to this trait of ours that we carried too far thus compromising our own belief.
Remember those times when your printing orders came wrong and you still accepted it? When your carpenter changes your design without permission and you let him go? And those times you were obliged to pass a failed student because he is your friend’s son? Or when your boss instructs you to do something you knew was wrong but still does it because he’s your boss? Then delegated you as a signatory to his company’s cheque and you did it to please him? And gave a rapist a chance though he was caught red handed? And turned a blind eye even though you witness a discrepancy committed by your boss for fear of losing your job? And kept silent even when your rights were infringed with? There are umpteen instances where we patronize others and there are too many to list them here completely not forgetting those times when we seek favors.
Historically speaking, it is this very attitude that bugs Tunku about lky. The lengthy bouts in parliament wears Tunku thin because lky never compromises neither does he patronize. And that’s the reason why he was sacked because he was gradually seen as ‘the’ thorn that is not going to go away without a fight.
So the question is did we patronize because of us being a multiracial country and patronizing became a way of tolerating? Or we patronise because that’s simply the way we are- trading in third grade products while our top grade timber went abroad?
We have failed to recognize the fact that we can be harmonious without being intimidating so long as we have more gentlemanly discourse over anything under the sun. Thus we compromise. And thus, this is what’s happening right now in our country today.”

All of us needed a new world order. We need to think of redesigning vehicles that causes much death, we need to bar weapons, we need a new form of government as countries and peoples needs grew too complex to be managed singly. Government and human rights may need to be reexamined. We just can’t sit down and be complacent while others determine the monopoly of crops, utilities, medication and health standards, financial standards, road standards, housing standards etc against our tolerance and happiness index.”

“Don’t erect a replica to replace that which had been demolished. Leave that sculpture in your memory as a reminder of some better times. Print limited edition copies of its image to fund raise an artist collaborative so called an artist Union where concerned artist can join and unite to keep watch, address and confront issues like this.
Personally, I feel that without the personal supervision, consent and approval of the rightful artist, we are only erecting a new sculpture that has no soul in it.
And you’re only giving dbkl leeway to commit more hideous defacements in the future.”

“Corporate commissioning, patronage and sponsorships must not be seen as an intrusion or incursion to commissioned works or its meaning related to it. In its purest form, sponsorships should be viewed as a necessary facility in which without it, art in the public domain can never materialize. There are always limitations in commissioned works. Funding, space availability, objective, approval from authorities, the go-ahead still depends very much on the versatility of that entrusted artist to deliver a convincing proposal. And as long as it fulfills it expectations and works well within the timeframe and budget, it is set to materialize, the interpretation of its existence from then on will evolve through generations of debate, depending on the quality of its viewer, the social mood of that period be it tumultuous or serene done with mutual respect. That said, when viewing commissioned works, one should not be cynical or cling on to a miniscule viewpoint questioning the existence and it’s purpose or the influence the sponsors has infused onto the artwork itself thus demeaning the work of the artist. There always exist mutual understanding, agreement and a liking before works can be executed.”

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I am a child usurped into the vagaries of an enigmatic world. Amidst that humdrum, I found in quiet solitude, a whole new world that I can finally breathe in. A world where there is no distinction between heaven, earth and man- between what is, what is to come and what has been..

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